Top 10 – The Most Beautiful Houses In Scotland

Continuing our Top 10 series, we now bring to you our list of the 10 most beautiful homes in Scotland. What makes a beautiful house? It's all very subjective, isn't it? We look for houses that have style, character and the perfect relationship with their surroundings. They don't have to be colossal in size or over the top with details; they just have to have that certain and indescribable 'something' that makes us want to take a closer look and get inside.

All of our selections below make us want to know more about the houses, the people that live in them and the teams that built them, making them extremely special.

So, let's take a look and you can tell us if we missed any of your favourites out!

10. Maryville Passive House

Maryville Passive House

The Maryville Passive House represents ongoing research into the development of modern housing that not only works within its own landscape, but can also remain flexible as to the needs and changing wants of residents. It is also a huge stride forward in terms of eco-friendly developments.

Built with wood cladding, zinc roofing panels and simple glazing, the house itself is remarkably simple, but what it represents makes it a beautiful inclusion. This could be the future of eco-housing and by remaining eminently adaptable and playable, is a house for everyone. It fills us with inspiration.

9. House at Camusdarach Sands

House At Camusdarach Sands Main Elevation

Orkney residents used to use locally sourced materials to build houses that were part submerged, in a bid to offer protection from the fierce weather conditions that the island encountered and though the winds haven't improved much, building techniques have!

Raw Architecture Workshop completed this amazing new build project in line with their young clients' directives to be able to enjoy the view of the rugged terrain. Maintaining a connection with the view was critical for the clients, who already lived on the island and as such, the main living quarters have been created behind an expansive window.

To make the house more sustainable, an air source heat pump was fitted, along with incredibly effective insulation, so as to protect against the savage Orkney winds and temperatures, but one of the most debated elements was the finishing colour. Black was chosen in the end, to reference the natural peat, gorse and stormy skies and we think it is an absolutely amazing build.

8. House No. 7

House No. 7

Denizen Works was commissioned in October 2010 to come up with a new design for a run down, B-listed Black House on the Isle of Tiree. Faced with the difficult task of creating something suitable for the staunch west coast of Scotland landscape, they came up with a dual house design that saw a resident property and a guest house being forged together with a utility wing.

Having conducted observational studies into the materials and building forms of the surrounding area, it was decided that the main influence would come from local agricultural buildings that showcased soft roof forms, chimneys and corrugated cladding. The end result is stark, soft and beautiful all at the same time and nothing short of complementary to the divine landscape.

7. Wester Coates villa

New villa in West Edinburgh – Garden

A new build, this amazing villa can be found in a conservation area close to Edinburgh. A formerly deserted plot, the available land was situated within a wider development of houses that had been built in the 1900s. ZONE Architects wanted to design and build a house that would be comparable to its neighbours in terms of size and beauty, but not similar in style.

Despite being vastly different to the surrounding properties, the house manages to both stand alone as a stunning piece of architecture, but also contribute to the wider beauty of the residential area. What a stunner!

6. Fir Chlis

Fir Chlis, Isle of Harris

Fir Chlis is an absolutely breathtaking holiday home, found on the Isle of Harris, that is single-handedly redefining how we think of temporary accommodation options.

Completed by the talented team at Icosis Architects, Fir Chlis is as stylish as it is unusual and we are in love with the dramatic stance that it portrays against the beautiful natural backdrop. A vision in dark natural stone and black agricultural cladding, this is a holiday home that manages to look modern and traditional all at once, allowing you to choose what direction your holiday takes!

5. The Old School House

Old School House, Glen Dye, Banchory, Aberdeenshire

A former primary school in Glen Dye, Banchory, this property was redesigned by Roundhouse Architecture, to become a suitable home to put onto the lettings market. The result was this beautiful two bedroom property that has remained traditional looking, while also taking advantage of more modern technologies, such as under floor heating.

The inside has been finished to remarkably high standards, as you would expect, but it's the exterior that we have fallen in love with, thanks to the flashes of vibrant turquoise and the carefully restored stonework. A house with heritage; what could be better?

4. The Inn at John O' Groats

The Inn at John O'Groats

We think you'll forgive us for including a hotel in this Ideabook when you see how amazing it looks! The original hotel on the site was left for 15 years in a state of disrepair, with visitors leaving disappointed, so a restoration project was undertaken to breathe new life into the property and re-launch it as The Inn at John O’ Groats.

Reports state that demolishing the existing building and starting from scratch would have been a cheaper option, but instead, it was restored and added to with a Nordic inspired timber clad extension. GLM, the team behind the radical new design, have created something that both connects to the past and offers something new and exciting and we are huge fans of the bright, cheery exterior that now sits atop the hill.

Though the styles of the two segments are wildly different, the overall impact of them working together is extraordinary. The simplicity of the new structure, added to the coordinating height, makes for a natural and harmonious combination of properties that have effortlessly come together as one. Old and new combining perfectly is a firm favourite of ours and is a great way to showcase the capabilities of a talented design firm.

2. Linlithgow

Linlithgow Extension 09

This fantastic house would have grabbed our attention, even without the new glass extension that has been added to it, but with that addition, it is something else!

With such an amazing palette of quality materials already in use in the wider house, including sandstone and whinstone, it is unsurprising that the team at George Buchanan Architects sought to re-use them, where possible. The ‘floating’ roof is serving a dual purpose here of connecting the new extension to the existing house, while also allowing a lot of natural light in, but we think the colour scheme is what is really driving the cohesive styling here. Everything looks so perfectly tonal that we love the natural stonework walls and modern glazing in equal measure and think they have combined to make a beautiful home that we would have to look twice at.

1. The Apple House

Elevation with Adjacent Service Lean-too

Originally dating back to 1792, The Apple House had been left to fall into such a state of disrepair that it was added to the At Risk Register. Essentially, everything and anything needed either replacing, like for like, or repairing, so this was no small renovation project. What has been created though, was worth all the effort!

Complete with sash casement windows, perfectly pointed stonework and beautiful turret roofing, The Apple House leaves a lasting impression with anyone that sees it and because it is so unusual, we had to include it on our Top 10!